Fire-escape.



J. H. HOGSTON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION rum) APR.19,1909.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

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JOHN H. HOGSTON, OF LADYSMITH, WISCONSIN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

' Application filed April 19, 1909. Serial No. 490,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. HOGSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ladysmith, in the county of Rusk and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire-escapes, and the object is to provide a safe, easy-working and eflicient device of said kind.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fire-escape in position at a window and ready for use, the window and its frame being in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1 with the window sashes removed. Fig. 3 is an elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 1 or as seen from the inside of a room. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the adjusting blocks in section and a tube. Fig. 5 is a modification of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, it will be seen that I provide a rectangular portable open frame formed of two horizontal tubular bars 1, 1, and two vertical preferably rectangular bars 2, the latter being long enough to vertically span the lower half of a window frame 21 when the sashes 22 therein are raised, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The horizontal bars are long enough to span and over-reach the opening of any ordinary window as shown in Fig. 8, where 23 indicates the inside window casing. The bars of the portable frame cross each other in two upper blocks 3 and two lower blocks 4 and are adjustably held therein either by a single set screw 5 in each block, the screw pressing the one bar against the other as in Fig. 4:, or there may be a separate screw for each bar, as in Fig. 5.

The lower blocks 4 are provided with hook-shaped arms 6 adapted to rest upon the window sill, and the outer ends of said arms are pivoted at 7 the legs of an arch 8, whose apex 9 is secured by a chain 10 to a bracket 11 on the upper horizontal bar of the frame or if the latter bar is made very light I may use two chains and connect their inner ends to the blocks 3 in the directions indicated by the dotted line b b in Fig. 2.

From the apex of the arch is suspended by an eye-bolt 12 a pulley block 13, through which is passed a rope 14 having one end attached by an eye-bolt 15 to the bail 16 of a basket 17, made of canvas or any other suitable material. Its upper edge is stiffened by a hoop 20, which is provided with an eye 19 to guide the other arm of the rope. Below said eye the rope is rolled on a light spool 18, which is normally kept in the basket.

In the use of the device it will be understood that the angular form of the vertical bars prevents the frame from twisting when its crossings are loosened to adjust the frame to the size of the window. After the frame is so adjusted it is placed in the open window in the osition shown, the basket is thrown outsi e the wall and the spool 18 is thrown out of it and by its weight unrolls the rope and extends it to the ground, where firemen or other persons may take hold of it. The person who is to escape from the burning building ste s out of the window into the basket and y both hands on the rope near the eye 19, with or without assistance from people on the ground, lowers the basket to the ground. If there are more persons in the same room or rooms below he can now operate the device from the ground and help them to escape. Even persons imprisoned in rooms considerably distant away to either side of a plumb line of the device may be reached by bringing the fallen end of the rope to either side on the ground and thus pull the basket to the window where it is needed. It may also be pulled and guided by the rope away from the wall of the building to avoid smoke and flames from the windows.

What I claim is:

1. In a fire-escape, in combination an open frame ada ted to be placed in a window opening, t e same having arms projecting beyond the window opening at the inner side of the building and su porting'arms resting upon the window sil and curved downwardly outside thereof, an arch having its legs pivoted to said supporting arms, bracing means connecting t e up er part of the arch with the upper part of the frame to hold the arch in an outwardly leaning position, a pulley block attached to the apex of the arch, a rope passed through the block, means at one end of the rope for supporting one or more persons, said frame being constructed of four bars crossing each other near their ends and blocks at each crossing with one or more set-screws in each block for holding the bars adjustably in the blocks.

2. In a fire-escape, in combination an open frame adapted to be placed in a window opening, the same having arms projecting beyond the window opening at the inner side of the building and supporting arms resting upon the Window sill and curved clownwardly outside thereof, an arch having its legs pivoted to said supporting arms, bracing means connecting the upper part of the arch with the upper part of the frame to hold the arch in an outwardly leaning position, a pulley block attached to the apex of the arch, a rope passed through the block, means at one end of the rope for supporting one or more persons, said frame being constructed of four bars crossing each other near their ends and blocks at each crossing with one or more set-screws in each block for holding the bars adj ustably in the blocks, two of said bars being angular in cross section to prevent twisting of the frame when the screws in the blocks are loosened for adjusting the size of the frame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. HOGSTON. WVitnesses W. H. JUDD, S. L. CI-IICKER. 

